Nachi Gordon sits down with Julia Blum, a singer, songwriter and Yale graduate who grew up performing in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, in a home where God simply wasn't part of the conversation. After a college interview left her unable to answer one question, "who are you?", a trip after graduation brought her to the Kotel and to a Shabbos table in the Old City, where one dropped platter changed the course of her life.   Julia shares what she found at Neve Yerushalayim, the choices she made about Shabbos, tznius and kol isha, why she stepped away from the stage for decades to be there for her kids, and what brought her back to music today.   This episode is sponsored by:   ► PZ Deals   Never pay full price again when you download the PZ Deals app.   https://app.pz.deals/install/mpp     ► Colel Chabad Pushka App   The easiest way to give Tzedaka.   https://pushkapp.cc/meaningful     ► Ceremian Financial   Advice built on experience. Moshe Alpert and Ceremian Financial are fiduciary financial advisors offering wealth management, financial planning, retirement planning, and estate and legacy planning for families, professionals and business owners, so you can have real peace of mind that your finances are taken care of. Schedule your first conversation today.   https://ceremianfinancial.com/   [email protected]   718-644-1594     ► Dream Raffle   Win a brand new, fully furnished $1.3 million apartment in Yerushalayim! Use promo code MPP for $10 off and double tickets.   https://thedreamraffle.com/     ► Aura House   A sleek, flame free cold air diffuser that fills your home with a five star hotel scent, with no parabens or phthalates. Use code MEANINGFUL15 for 15% off.   https://aurahouse.com     ► Town Appliance   Visit the website or message them on WhatsApp.   https://www.townappliance.com   https://bit.ly/Townappliance whatsapp     Timestamps:   0:00 Intro 2:59 Growing Up a Child Performer in Los Angeles 8:07 Yale, Harvard and Knowledge Without Meaning 11:11 The Princeton Interview and the Questions No One Talks About 15:47 Growing Up Jewish Without Religion 23:12 Traveling Alone and a Home Without God 29:55 Skipping Paris for Israel and a Shabbos Meal in the Old City 33:34 The Dropped Platter That Changed Julia Blum's Life 36:08 The Mom Who Went to Yale and the Road to Neve Yerushalayim 40:47 Brainwashing Warnings and Planning an Escape From the Taxi 42:56 The First Day at Neve: Lech Lecha and Opening a Chumash 48:04 Learning Shabbos and Giving Up Broadway 51:58 Tznius: "I Have a Body, I'm Not a Body" 54:25 Kol Isha and Julia's Struggle With Hashem 56:28 Singing for a Sisterhood of Girls and Women 59:29 Always an Outsider: "I Dreamed of Being a Bais Yaakov Girl" 1:01:13 Stepping Away From the Stage for Her Family 1:03:12 Rav Moshe Weinberger and Julia's Return to Music 1:07:55 Each Child Gets Their Own Journey 1:11:39 How Julia's Parents Reacted to Her Becoming Frum 1:15:18 Closing and Meaningful Minute Plus

Nachi Gordon sits down with Dr. Moshe Glick, a dentist, Hatzalah volunteer and longtime pro-Israel activist from West Orange, New Jersey. On November 13, 2024, an anti-Israel mob marched on an event at Congregation Ohr Torah, and after yelling for police who never came, Moshe stepped in with the small flashlight in his hand to stop a man choking his 64-year-old friend David on the shul lawn. Weeks later, he got the call in a Jerusalem hotel room: four criminal charges, including a bias crime, and up to 10 years in prison. Moshe takes us through being fingerprinted and mugshotted, the deal everyone begged him to take and why he refused to admit guilt, two grand jury indictments, the Department of Justice's first-ever FACE Act case to protect a house of worship, and the pardon that came on Governor Phil Murphy's last morning in office. He also shares why he's now going on the offense with David's Sling, the moments he calls hugs from Hashem along the way, and his message for anyone going through a crisis of their own. This episode is sponsored by: ► PZ Deals Never pay full price again when you download the PZ Deals app. https://app.pz.deals/install/mpp ► Colel Chabad Pushka App The easiest way to give Tzedaka. https://pushkapp.cc/meaningful ► Chesed 24/7 Run 24/7 On Sunday, November 15, join Chesed 24/7 for Run 24/7 at the American Dream Mall, a 5K walk or run for women and girls, with a new track this year for ages 11 to 14. Enjoy brunch on the go plus exclusive access to the DreamWorks Water Park from 9 to 11 a.m., all supporting Chesed 24/7's hospital rooms and meals for patients and their families. Transportation is available from Brooklyn, Monsey, Lakewood and the Five Towns. Registration closes November 7. https://chesed247-psi.vercel.app/?utm source=MM&utm id=Chesed24-7 ► Ceremian Financial Advice built on experience. Moshe Alpert and Ceremian Financial are fiduciary financial advisors offering wealth management, financial planning, retirement planning, and estate and legacy planning for families, professionals and business owners, so you can have real peace of mind that your finances are taken care of. Schedule your first conversation today. https://ceremianfinancial.com/ [email protected] 718-644-1594 ► Adopt-A-Soldier When an injured IDF soldier comes home, recovery is just the beginning. Adopt-A-Soldier connects you directly with a wounded soldier and their family for one year of personal connection and financial support, and 100% of your donation goes straight to them with no administrative fees. Every soldier is vetted by volunteers at Sheba Medical Center (Tel HaShomer). Join their buffet reception featuring IDF Res. Captain Itamar Shapira on Thursday, November 5 at 7:30pm in Lawrence, NY, for men and women. https://adopt-a-soldier.org [email protected] 305-699-4531 ► Town Appliance Visit the website or message them on WhatsApp. https://www.townappliance.com https://bit.ly/Townappliance whatsapp Timestamps: 0:00 Intro: "We're a Nation of Lions" 2:50 November 13, 2024: The Pro-Israel Event and the Threatening Letter 5:03 Moving the Event to the Shul and Preparing for the Mob 9:37 The March to Congregation Ohr Torah 12:15 Vuvuzelas, Pepper Spray and a 64-Year-Old in a Chokehold 18:19 "I Was Naive": The Article and the Call From the Police 22:30 Four Charges and Up to 10 Years, From a Jerusalem Hotel Room 25:36 Facing a Crisis and Davening at the Kotel 28:24 Waiting to Be Arrested and Renee Glick's Support 30:53 Fingerprinted, Mugshotted and Unable to Speak Out 34:34 The PTI Deal and the Pressure to Just Take It 38:59 Sleeping On It, and the DOJ Steps In 41:03 Refusing the Deal and Facing the Grand Jury 44:57 The Prosecutor's Mistakes and a Second Indictment 48:13 The Department of Justice and the FACE Act 51:15 Community Support and the Cavalry That Never Came 54:17 The Pardon From Governor Murphy, and Why Moshe Didn't Walk Away 56:54 Going on the Offense: Internal Affairs Complaints and a Lawsuit for Records 58:36 Why Moshe Glick Started David's Sling 1:04:21 Hugs From Hashem and the Message for Anyone in Crisis 1:08:24 Closing and Meaningful Minute Plus

On September 30, Flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv was hijacked mid-air. A terrorist stabbed the pilot, the plane dropped 15,000 feet in under a minute, and for a few seconds nobody was flying it. Nachi Gordon sits down with Daniel Schlichter, who was sitting in the second row with his wife, two meters from the cockpit, and watched three Israeli passengers take the terrorist down while a dentist on board treated the pilot. Daniel handed them the headphones they used to tie him up.   Daniel walks through every minute: the empty cockpit, the off-duty pilots who took over, the flight attendant who told them to let the terrorist go, the emergency landing in Saudi Arabia with part of the tail missing, and the first direct flight from Saudi Arabia to Israel. He also opens up about why a man who never considered himself religious now calls it a divine miracle, and what he believes all 174 people on that plane are still here to do.   This episode is sponsored by:   ► PZ Deals   Never pay full price again when you download the PZ Deals app.   https://app.pz.deals/install/mpp     Timestamps:   0:00 Intro: "Nobody's Flying This Plane" 1:55 Daniel Schlichter on Boarding Flight FZ1073 Home From Japan 3:36 "Somebody Is Stabbing the Pilot": The Fight in the Cockpit 8:45 Losing 15,000 Feet in Under a Minute 11:31 The Miracles That Kept 174 People Alive and What It Did to Daniel's Faith 16:06 An Empty Cockpit and the Off-Duty Pilots Who Took Over 18:59 Not Trusting the Crew and Landing in Saudi Arabia 22:52 Am Yisrael Chai and the First Direct Flight From Saudi Arabia to Israel 25:05 "Kill Me, Kill Me": Why It Was Terror, Not a Fight Between Pilots 29:10 "I'm Not a Hero": Coming Home and Searching for Why 32:57 The Indian Pilot Who Opened the Door

Nachi Gordon sits down with Ben Brafman, one of the most well known criminal defense attorneys in the country and a proud frum Jew. Ben opens up about sitting with clients at the worst moments of their lives, why he says he's "not the morality police," the Otisville visiting day he can never forget, and the hardest conversation of his career, with Super Bowl champion Plaxico Burress.   They also get into the pressures and shortcuts that lead good people into serious crimes, the damage lashon hara does in our community, keeping Shabbos while representing Sean Combs, and the Brafman family legacy, from the Torah his father saved on Kristallnacht to the lives his brother, Rabbi Aron Brafman, changed at Yeshiva of Far Rockaway.   This episode is sponsored by:   ► PZ Deals   Never pay full price again when you download the PZ Deals app.   https://app.pz.deals/install/mpp     ► Colel Chabad Pushka App   The easiest way to give Tzedaka.   https://pushkapp.cc/meaningful     ► Touro   Serious about your education and your Torah learning? Touro's Lander College for Men/Beis Medrash L'Talmud offers over 20 majors and pre-professional tracks, including finance, computer science, accounting, biology, psychology, pre-law, pre-dental and pre-med, plus honors pathways into New York Medical College and Touro College of Dental Medicine. Join the Open House on November 8.   https://lcm.touro.edu/openhouse     ► Ceremian Financial   Advice built on experience. Moshe Alpert and Ceremian Financial are fiduciary financial advisors offering wealth management, financial planning, retirement planning, and estate and legacy planning for families, professionals and business owners, so you can have real peace of mind that your finances are taken care of. Schedule your first conversation today.   https://ceremianfinancial.com/   [email protected]   718-644-1594     ► Town Appliance   Visit the website or message them on WhatsApp.   https://www.townappliance.com   https://bit.ly/Townappliance whatsapp Timestamps:   0:00 Intro: "I'm Not the Morality Police" 3:29 Ben Brafman on Talking Clients Out of Suicide and an Affinity Fraud in Shul 6:25 No Mussar and No Shortcuts: The Hard Work Behind the Job 8:31 His Father, Kristallnacht, and the Torah Saved From a Burning Shul 9:39 Law School, Stand-Up Comedy, and Humor in the Courtroom 11:46 What Gets Frum Business People in Trouble 13:26 Otisville Visiting Day: "Tatti, Kum Aheim" 16:28 COVID Loans, False Applications, and Federal Sentencing 20:34 Mesira, Cooperating With the Government, and Pardons for Sale 24:34 The Chesed of the Jewish Community and Hospital Shabbos Rooms 28:26 Lashon Hara: "Be Like Ben" 31:26 Yiddishkeit vs. Career: Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and a "Heart Surgery" 35:30 Making a Name: In the Zone and No Summers Off 37:58 The Hardest Conversation: Plaxico Burress 41:40 How Do You Defend Someone You Think Belongs in Jail? 43:26 Smicha Is Not a PhD: Kollel, Financial Pressure, and the Cheder in Ramat Eshkol 48:42 The Art of Cross-Examination and the Evidence You Can't Cross-Examine 54:22 No Shortcuts to Success, and Lawyers Burned by AI 56:03 Not Picking Up on Shabbos for Sean Combs 1:01:18 The Mafia Cops Case That Should Be a Movie 1:05:36 Best and Worst Advice, and Learning Daf Yomi 1:09:26 Ben and His Brother, Rabbi Aron Brafman 1:15:50 Sullivan & Cromwell and Frum Lawyers in Big Law 1:18:08 Closing and Meaningful Minute Plus  

Moshe Tischler and Shloimy Zaltzman, two of the biggest names in Jewish wedding music, sit down with Nachi Gordon to trace how they broke into the industry, from meeting as yeshiva teenagers to Shlomi's near-miss record deal and the emotional moment years later when he watched another bandleader step into that same opportunity. They open up about what the job really costs, the travel away from their kids, showing up at full strength no matter how sick or drained they are, and the odd reality of being shy, private people who perform in the most public, high-stakes moments of other people's lives. They also dig into where Jewish music is headed, from the flood of new releases on platforms like 24Six to AI-generated singers (including a story about a bride who fell for a song by an artist who doesn't actually exist), and land on the same conclusion: raw, honest, unpolished authenticity beats anything overproduced. A warm, funny, surprisingly candid conversation between two friends who built parallel careers making other people's simchas unforgettable. Exclusive content on: www.mmplus.org   This is episode is brought to you in part by:   ► PZ Deals   Download the app and never pay full price again!   https://app.pz.deals/install/mpp     ► Colel Chabad Pushka App   The easiest way to give Tzedaka   https://pushkapp.cc/meaningful     ► ArtScroll   ArtScroll is celebrating 50 years of making Torah learning accessible to everyone, and they're marking it with a massive giveaway: $10,000 every single week for the next few weeks, adding up to over $50,000 total. No purchase necessary, just head to the link, scroll down, and fill out the short form to be entered. While you're there, check out the rotating weekly sale, with so many ArtScroll items at 50% off.   https://artscroll.com/50years     ► Ness Vacation Homes   EDEN GARDENS' LARGEST LUXURY HOME COLLECTION   Handpicked, high-end homes available exclusively through Ness.   https://nessvacationhomes.com/     ► El Al   From the Hebrew announcements to the Israeli atmosphere onboard, flying EL AL feels like Israel before you even land. With nonstop flights to Israel and Jewish comfort from takeoff to landing, there's nothing like hearing: ברוכים הבאים לישראל.   Book your next flight with EL AL:     https://www.elal.com/eng/usa?utm source=meaningful&utm medium=podcast&utm campaign=gcny incoming usa&cid=s:el%7Cm:what%7Ccp:gcny%7Cct:incoming%7Cau:usa     ► Rothenberg Law Firm   Personal Injury Law Firm For 50+ years!   Reach out Today for Free Case Evaluation   https://shorturl.at/JFKHH     ► Town Appliance   Visit the website or message them on WhatsApp   https://www.townappliance.com   https://bit.ly/Townappliance whatsapp  

This week, Nachi Gordon sits down with philanthropists Yossi Hoch and Simcha Shain to talk about the world of tzedakah, from the pressure donors carry to the changing psychology of giving. They open up about what has shifted since their parents' generation, how technology and platforms like Charidy have reshaped fundraising, and why some of the most established organizations now struggle to compete with flashier, newer causes. Along the way they share candid stories about donors who quietly write six figure checks and others who give up their Shabbos soda money, and why both matter equally.   The conversation turns personal as Yossi and Simcha discuss the hidden shame that comes with losing the ability to give, the toll of unfulfilled pledges, and what it really means to give with a full heart rather than a full wallet. They also dig into Shuvu, the organization educating thousands of children across Israel, including former hostage Bar Kuperstein, and share the story of how each of them first got involved. It's a wide ranging, honest look at what tzedakah costs, what it gives back, and why every dollar, no matter the size, counts. Help Shuvu grow This episode is sponsored by:   ► PZ Deals   Never pay full price again when you download the PZ Deals app.   https://app.pz.deals/install/mpp     ► Colel Chabad Pushka App   The easiest way to give Tzedaka.   https://pushkapp.cc/meaningful     ► Amudim - What Comes Next, Live in New York   Join Nachi Gordon moderating a powerful panel on healing from abuse, crime, and trauma. Free event, limited seating.   https://amudim.org/next     ► Shopify Guru   Store looks great but not selling the way it should? Shopify Guru's Daniel gets under the hood and makes it actually work, no developer needed every time you want to make a change. Call 732-534-1404 or go to shopifyguru.io.   https://go.jcn.io/sgmp     ► Ness Vacation Homes   EDEN GARDENS' LARGEST LUXURY HOME COLLECTION. Handpicked, high-end homes available exclusively through Ness.   https://nessvacationhomes.com/     ► Rothenberg Law Firm   Personal Injury Law Firm For 50+ years! Reach out today for a free case evaluation.   https://shorturl.at/JFKHH     ► Town Appliance   Visit the website or message them on WhatsApp.   https://www.townappliance.com   https://bit.ly/Townappliance whatsapp Timestamps:   0:00 Intro: The $7 Postdated Check That Changed a Life 2:09 Meet Yosi Hach and Simcha Shain 3:38 A Billion Dollars a Year in Tzedakah 5:03 How Communal Wealth Has Changed 6:04 Technology's Impact on Fundraising 8:27 The Rise of Charidy and Online Giving 12:12 Donor Psychology: Has Giving Gotten Too Easy? 14:19 The Shrinking Value of $100 18:01 Can a Family of Five Live on $300K? 20:00 Tuition, Tax Credits, and Housing Costs 23:51 Advice for a 22 Year Old Starting Out 26:13 Investing in Yourself 29:35 Fundraising War Stories and the Hidden Stress on Donors 36:52 A Personal Story of Loss and Gratitude 39:17 Chesed, Unfulfilled Pledges, and Giving with a Full Heart 49:20 The Origins and Growth of Shuvu 55:19 Shuvu's Alumni, the War, and How Simcha Shain Got Involved 1:04:19 Mike Tress, Parting Advice, and Vetting a Charity  

  This week, Nachi Gordon sits down with Charlie Harari for a wide-ranging conversation about what it actually means to love someone, honor your parents, and do teshuva. Charlie unpacks how modern therapy culture has replaced the role of a rebbe for a lot of people, and argues that real love isn't validation, it's pointing someone toward Hashem even when that's uncomfortable to hear. From there the conversation moves through honoring parents even when the relationship is hard, why teshuva is really about identity rather than behavior, and why tragedy seems to shake people awake to Hashem faster than blessing does.   Charlie also talks about Kelil, the app and upcoming book he co-wrote to help people work through jealousy, honoring parents, and other areas of avodas Hashem that are hard to figure out on your own.   This episode is sponsored by:   ► PZ Deals   Never pay full price again when you download the PZ Deals app.   https://app.pz.deals/install/mpp     ► Colel Chabad Pushka App   The easiest way to give Tzedaka.   https://pushkapp.cc/meaningful     ► Values Over Valuables   A campaign encouraging people to live a value based life instead of buying whatever they can afford. Watch the video and take the pledge.   https://valuesovervaluables.org     ► Bench   American-style food, treats, and gifts from vendors across Jerusalem, delivered straight to your kid in Israel. A taste of home when you can't be there yourself.   https://benchjlm.com     ► Ness Vacation Homes   Eden Gardens' largest luxury home collection. Handpicked, high end homes available exclusively through Ness.   https://nessvacationhomes.com/     ► Rothenberg Law Firm   Personal Injury Law Firm for 50+ years! Reach out today for a free case evaluation.   https://shorturl.at/JFKHH     ► Town Appliance   Visit the website or message them on WhatsApp.   https://www.townappliance.com   https://bit.ly/Townappliance whatsapp